Optical properties and highly efficient laser oscillation of Nd:Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ ceramics

Summary form only given. Cubic Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ crystal has been investigated for a long time as an active host material for rare earth ions due to its favorable properties. Among these are its refractory nature, stability, ruggedness, optical clarity over a broad spectral region, high thermal conductivity and broad emission band, etc. Thermal conductivity of Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ is about two times larger than that of Y/sub 3/Al/sub 5/O/sub 12/ (YAG), and the thermal expansion coefficient is very similar. But because of very high melting temperature of such oxide (2450/spl deg/C), it is extremely difficult to grow large-size high optical quality Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ single crystals by conventional crystal growth methods. The laser oscillation results were not satisfying either. A new technique called vacuum sintering method was used to fabricate ceramic laser materials. Large-size high-transparency neodymium-doped Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ ceramics were fabricated by this method.